Florida Democrats Are Mining the Misery of Hurricane Michael for Votes

With the rapid development of Hurricane Michael in the Gulf of Mexico, most Floridians saw an imminent life-and-death threat to the panhandle and Big Bend region of their state.

Not the Florida Democratic Party. They smelled an opportunity and seized it.

The last day to register voters was Tuesday, Oct. 9. But election offices closed in North Florida counties that day so citizens in the storm's path could prepare.

Democrats were licking their lips.

“The Florida Department of State is committed to ensuring that all eligible Floridians are able to register to vote, including those Floridians who may be impacted by Hurricane Michael,” Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner wrote in a memorandum distributed late Monday night.

To compensate for the day missed, Detzner authorized supervisors of elections whose county offices closed a day early to accept paper voter registration applications on the next day their office reopened.

“This will ensure that each Supervisor of Elections Office has the same amount of days to register voters at their office,” Detzner said.

Not content with Detzner's solution, the FDP filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for a judge to extend the voter registration deadline for registering to vote by a full week. (See the lawsuit here.)

In all counties, not just the ones in the path of Hurricane Michael.

The Democrats claim they speak for citizens denied the right to vote as a result of closures and evacuations.

The lawsuit, filed against Detzner in Tallahassee (where the storm is predicted to hit), declares, “His ‘solution’ is insufficient and confusing. It does not adequately protect the voting rights of Florida citizens who cannot register to vote.”

Do they think Floridians can't figure out this ruse? A statewide, full-week extension?

Blaise Ingoglia, chairman of the Republican Party Of Florida, called the stunt out.

“It's absolutely reprehensible that the Florida Democrats would play political games on the eve of a potentially devastating hurricane, and waste taxpayer money by filing this lawsuit,” he said in a prepared statement.

Making the fraud doubly distasteful -- and doubly transparent -- the majority of areas that experienced day-early office closures are in red counties; for the Democrats to ask for a week long extension is solely to grant extra time in South Florida's mostly blue counties, which have not experienced any storm-related hardships and where the most potential Democrats live.

Another reason this request looks like a cynical gambit is that registration was available online, by the deadline. This was a perfectly reasonable option, given no utilities had been affected by the storm by the close of business Tuesday. Those who may have missed the chance to register due to evacuation would be missing it by one day.

This issue is assuaged by the extension the secretary granted. Given Scott has made the allowances for those areas in the storm’s path, there is no discernible excuse for Democrats to make that would justify giving the unaffected counties -- the majority of the state -- the extra time to register.

In the lawsuit the FDP proclaims, “It is likely that citizens who would otherwise register as Democrats prior to the registration deadline … will not be able to do so, thereby decreasing the overall likelihood that the party will be successful in its efforts to help elect Democratic candidates to public office.” That sounds like a highly dramatic resolution -- over a one day delay. And that day is being granted, via the order from the secretary, so any concern would be remedied.

“Only an organization that is playing politics with people's lives,” said Ingoglia, “would ask for voter registration to be extended by a full week in this state’s most densely populated Democrat areas.”

With all the focus on Florida races, and the threat that the proposed Blue Wave is slacking, it is not surprising Florida Democrats would seek to leverage any advantage they can find -- even relying on the dramatics of a hurricane to do so. Hopefully, the court will see through their so-called "argument."

Brad Slager, a Fort Lauderdale freelance writer, wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News. He writes on politics and the entertainment industry and his stories appear in such publications as RedState and The Federalist.

Comments

More partisan drivel from the rag blog... Why wouldn't they ask for more time? It is a reasonable request under the circumstances. The sad part indeed, is we all know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they will not get it... FL is the voter suppression capital of the US...

I consider myself typical fair-minded suburbanite boomer, having no party affiliation. I do not know who devised this despicable Cavanaugh attack nor the left's divisive and relentless public confrontation of elected officials, but I see who is funding this chaos. Do these folks have blinders on as supporting these antics not only alienates us but continue to erode any semblance of decency and common courtesy. These core values I guess their mothers never had or refused to impart to these progressives during their formative years. So the liberals have once again forced me to vote Republican as they did when they stigmatized me among the 'deplorables' in 2016. When will Democrats ever learn this is a failed strategy? Sad, very sad.

Among many other significant negatives, the Republican Party has ALWAYS been the party of voter suppression ... so ... if the Democrats can find ANY basis on which to resist or fight that deplorable policy ... more power to them! #VoteBlue #GoGillum #ScrewTrump

Your rhetoric is biased and your choice of candidate speaks to that bias!! You want to elect a socialist who is currently under investigation by the FBI? Your politics are even more asinine than your lack of logic! There is no basis whatsoever for the statewide extension that the Democrats are seeking and the state should sue the DNC for the court costs!

That would be a good requirement, because I bet most Trump voters probably can't spell. they are getting hit by a global warming storm that my God is sending in revenge for voting evil republicans in (like in eezekiel 16:49-50 This is why I destroyed your sister Sodom her inequities pride, over abundance of food, and yet she care not for the poor and needy, sounds a lot like the Republican Party and the immoral iright twisting the Bible's message all around like gen2:8& job33:4 that says life begins with breath, all them really don't even believe their God is powerful enough to cause storms, but my God is. He is the real one giving democratic advantage. And just think all those poor souls that will lose everything and won't even get a tax deduction, because that is only for those who make a quarter million or more a year.Just think their goals are to totally do away with birth control and no more personal exemptions that is an additional tax break for every child. Make the poor bear more and more the cost of society, because lord they should only have advantage while never having to bear any cost ,they will be judged with love.

You are a "sicko" Debbie,... and YOUR "god" must be too... (Check to see if HE is able to spell "benevolence"...(Doesn't sound like it,.. according to your comment.)... Guess you (and he) are both stunted Democrats !

It's a shame anybody had to resort to litigation. But it's not the first time Rick Scott's administration has been sued on behalf of voting rights. Seems like many of our county election supervisors were up in arms about one of his stunts not too long ago. The region is going to get beat up badly, people who suffer will put their survival and rebuilding their lives first. I would support mobile voting (sending units out in about 10 days) so people who've lost their vehicles or whose possessions have been soaked can vote or be given new ballots. And yes, it's a Republican voting area, but let's make sure every voice is counted.

Charlotte, how are you? I hope you and your loved ones are safe and sound. You don't like the idea of voting mobiles so your fellow Republicans in the affected area can elect Scotty and Desantis? I cant figure you out.

What's the problem? More time means more people can register. Are you of the opinion that only democrats can register? If not, then it doesn't matter how long you extend the time. Both sides have the same opportunity to keep registering people. Come on guys real issues please.

Exactly William! It’s as if the lawsuit specifically states that only democrats can register after the deadline or something!! Ridiculous!! Republicans will have the ability to register as well, and given the fact that the hurricane will affect red areas, it would seem as though it would benefit them more. But hey, that paranoia about the blue wave and black and brown people voting kicks in any time access to the ballot box is discussed!!!

Still avoiding the core truth that the deadline already passed for the majority of the state, and Dems are trying to game the system off of a natural disaster? 15 red counties missing one day of registration due to a storm is not "suppression" because Dems want an extra week to register in blue counties unaffected.

You still have not addressed the problems with the online registration system, and of course you won’t. it doesn’t fit your slanted narrative. I don’t care about a lawsuit over one day. I talked about voter suppression because it’s about more than one day. The glitches with online registration aren’t about one day. Now, again, I asked you about THOSE. You keep running from them. The core truth is that you are a hypocrite who sees things out of one lens. Shall I tell you what that lens is?

I'm running?? No, you changed the subject. The lawsuit wanted to extend the deadline statewide due to the hurricane. The deadline already ended before landfall. The only need for the extension was in any area where offices closed one day early.

Thanks Leslie. Don't let the crackers get you down! BTW, all you guys, are you tired of winning yet? 800 point drop in the market today attributed to Trump's trade war.....I lost enough money today to buy a single wide trailer!

Voters are already registered. Last minute registrants should get it done early if they want to vote. There is no excuse for not being registered. If they are too disorganized to not have it done this time, they can vote next time. Taxpayers shouldn't get sued because of a hurricane.

There is no excuse for YOU. Why is it so difficult for you to just handle your business and let others handle theirs? You don’t know what is going on in someone’s lives that prevented them from doing something on YOUR time. Why do Republicans want to always be between other folks’ legs, in their business, and other places they shouldn’t be???

Well, after being called the "resident harridan" and a "nasty, nasty" woman, you are right up my alley! Leslie, you are a source of light on an otherwise dim site. Whatever you write about or say here, PLEASE DONT MENTION SCIENCE OR BOOKS!